


Unrooted

by ThatwasJustaDream



Category: Lost
Genre: Community: 1-million-words, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-27
Updated: 2014-09-27
Packaged: 2018-02-18 22:45:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2364779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatwasJustaDream/pseuds/ThatwasJustaDream
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A fill-in fic for the night that The Searcher found The Oceanic Six bobbing in the ocean, and Penny and Des were reunited.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Unrooted

**Author's Note:**

  * For [helsinkibaby](https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/gifts).



> Written as a reward fic for Helsinkibaby for participating in the Weekend Challenge on the 1_million_words comm.

Desmond tucked in the corner of the towel wrapped around his waist, stepping out of The Searcher’s private quarters bathroom to the sight of Penny waiting for him.

“Shave and a haircut…” she smiled from her perch at the foot of her bed, scissors in hand, blades snicking. “Two kisses.”

“That’s a deal and a half. And God knows I need it…” he walked her way, rubbing the water out of his hair with the second towel lying over his shoulder, such a luxury a second towel. “I’ll take a haircut, Pen, but…I dunno…” 

“The beard, right?” she eyed it, dubiously.

“I’ve gotten so used to it. Think I’d feel even more confused and…unrooted without it.”

“We’ll keep it then. We’ll give it a groom,” She shrugged at his look of relief, setting the second towel behind him and preparing to wield the scissors. “I’ll just have to convince you to shave it off later.”

He huffed a laugh, leaning into the sweet, soft hand that was now carding through his hair.

“Your friends,” Penny gave him a push, got behind him, nodding toward the upper deck where there was the buzz of relieved conversation and laughter. “They’re going to feel pretty …unrooted. When they wake up tomorrow. They’re going to need our help, and some guidance.”

“Aye. We’ll give them that. Then we’re going home. To London. We’re going to go deal with your father and make sure he never…”

“No,” she never stopped cutting his curls, but the low, fast determination in her voice…. “We’re not. We’re not going back there, ever. We can’t.”

“Don’t you think we’ve run enough? Put up with enough? If we don’t face him now….”

“Trust me, Des. The things you don’t know yet? About what he’s done? I’ll go anywhere else in the world that you want – you name it, my crew will point us there and we will go. But home…. isn’t ours anymore.”

His heart sank, his dream of them living a normal life fading as fast as they’d formed in the shower. He knew she was right, it was just…hard to hear.

“Ta’, love,” he got up as she finished, brushing his hairline with the towel and then going to drop it in the hamper. “We should check on them up there, yeah?”

“In a minute, Des?” She had his wrist, was tugging him back to the bed. “I was hoping…”

He saw the look on her face, and as exhausted as he was something stirred deep inside him.

“We did get them washed and fed and settled,” he stretched out by her, their hands instinctively tugging at each others' shirts in search of skin to caress. “….guess they can manage.”

He pressed her back, their arms and hips and legs sliding into perfect, familiar synch as if it had been three days and not three years and... it was perfection. It was home. 

And as uncertain as their future was, he knew two things: He’d never leave her again. And he’d never go back to that island.


End file.
